Hellow Friends and Lurker Bees....
I got a wild hair yesterday to do another little mini-tutorial/info post on making 1" squares and collage in general. Why you ask? WEll, for one, I've recently become aware that more than 5 of my regular readers actually like my squares, and two because I just like to talk, teach and glue things. I've come up with all sorts of arguments to the "usefulness of collage"(or making inchie collages) and decided that my hobby is in fact, a fun, useful and fulfilling quest. No one asks an avid golfer what he's gonna do with the 9 hours he just spent on the golf course! So, I make stuff. It's fun. Now, let's collage (in this case, make some inchies!)
I took pics while making my latest collages and due to the fact that they are totally unstaged, unscripted and a bit messy, I named it my un-tutorial.
So, without further ado, here's collage, the artjunkgirl way...
First. Get out your fave beverage. Have it close by (important: not where it will spill on papers).
Now..arm yourself with a collage artist's must haves:
paper, glue of choice (glue stick is great) and some scissors (pronounced skizzors..).
NOW, that wasn't so hard, was it? You didn't have to go out and buy any equipment, pay tee fees or scream "fore" after cutting! Ok, so the next step...
If you are new to collage, I have news for you. You have everything you need right at home to start. You don't need fancy paper, Oh-no~ you can just peruse today's mail for some collage fodder. Furthermore, using junk mail will surely keep your inner critic at bay. We are just "practicing" here...trying to find your own personal groove, ok? Now, let me say that even though artjunkgirl likes junk mail, ajg does NOT think that all junk mail is made alike. Just like clothes...there is "designer" junk mail and trash. AJG is gonna let you know some of her fave, quality artjunk mail! Yes, indeedy, for not all junk mail is made alike. no siree....
My 2 very fave catalogs are Nordstrom and Anthropologie. I collaged a frame this past winter, with squares cut from the luscious colors and prints of a anthro. catalog.
And Norstrom has luscious, shiny pages as well. Speaking of shiny...shiny is usually something to be leary of with collage as shiny usually means, "no gluey" but in this case it's kind of a shiny thick matte finish. Targey also has Great catalogs for collage. So, where were we?
Ok, so, just grab a magazine. What I do is start perusing through (then take a sip of my tea) and start cutting images that appeal to me. I have to like it. If me no likey, me no cut it. After all, eye candy is what it's all about with collage...cutting away the junk you don't like and then re-gluing everything you do like into one cohesive, cool piece. To me, it's total nirvana. It's like getting to go to the store and only leaving with what you like! (but it didn't cost as much...lol).
Ok, got your drink, your scissors, check, glue? Ok, you can't find the scissors you say? well, I tie a piece of yarn to mine so I can find them under the mess. If for nothing else, that little tip will make reading this useless diatribe worth your while....
Now, let's just cut stuff up and put it in a pile.
Now, let's start arranging stuff..no, not that, the other piece over there...that's better....
You get the picture now? Are we there yet? Ok, you're having fun aren't you? Either that or you think I'm totally crazy or you are just reading this to avoid doing your laundry. WEll, stop right there! You are going to make a collage TO-day! yes, this is the day!
Ahhh, that's better.
